The Best Layering Clothes for Travel

Ashley Rossi is always ready for her next trip. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram for travel tips, destination ideas, and off the beaten path spots.

After interning at SmarterTravel, Ashley joined the team full time in 2015. She's lived on three continents, but still never knows where her next adventure will take her. She's always searching for upcoming destination hotspots, secluded retreats, and hidden gems to share with the world.

Ashley's stories have been featured online on USA Today, Business Insider, TripAdvisor, Huffington Post, Jetsetter, and Yahoo! Travel, as well as other publications.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "A reusable filtered water bottle—it saves you money, keeps you hydrated, and eliminates waste—win-win."

You’re headed somewhere warm but in order to get to the airport, you need your winter jacket … I’ve been there plenty of times and as much as you might be tempted to skip an outer layer entirely, now you don’t have to.

Layering Clothes for Travel Between Different Climates

Travel clothing has come a long way from bulky coats and snow boots (thank goodness for compression jackets); here’s the best way to layer when you’re headed to a warm climate from somewhere, well, not so warm.

What to Look for in Layering Clothes and Accessories for Travel

When you’re traveling between different climates, layering really is your best friend. Layering pieces tend to be less bulky and can be worn with multiple outfits. Stick to neutral colors to maximize versatility.

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For packing, wear your bulkiest items on the plane and shed, shed, shed, at your destination. If you do need to pack bulkier boots in your suitcase, stuff them with your socks, undergarments, and smaller T-shirts.

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Travel Layers: Fabrics

When purchasing layering clothes, it’s not the time to cheap out on quality. Invest in a few key pieces that will become your go-to layering pieces when packing.

Merino wool is a travel fabric hero. It comes in a variety of thicknesses and is used in everything from base layers to coats. This all-natural fiber has the superpower of keeping you cool when you’re hot and keeping you warm when you’re cold.

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Quick-drying fabrics are an obvious option here, as you can hand-wash them during your trip and they’ll dry fast. They also don’t take up too much space since they’re lightweight. Many athleisure brands use this fabric in stylish, jogger-style pants that you can wear almost anywhere.

Beechwood is another great material to look for when purchasing travel layering pieces as it’s totally sustainable and warm, but also lightweight. Check out the brand Bleusalt, which uses this type of wood in its fabric for most items.

Cupro, a regenerated cellulose fiber, feels like silk but it’s breathable, quick-drying, and odor-controlling. Uniqlo has its own line of stylish travel-friendly clothes made from the material. Pieces made with cupro often can do double duty.

Shop the look

If you want to buy only one item to boost your travel wardrobe, it should be a scarf, wrap, or sarong of sorts. I love Mer Sea’s The Classic Travel Wrap. It is machine-washable, comes with its own travel bag, and even doubles as an airplane pillow. Check out the rest of the brand’s wraps for a range of other options, from cashmere to cotton.

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Ashley Rossi is always ready for her next trip. Follow her onTwitterandInstagramfor travel tips, destination ideas, and off the beaten path spots.

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Editors’ note: This article has been updated to fix an earlier error.

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.